Defense Rules

Rules of Defensive Bridge

Common Sense Rules. You know all the following 'rules'. But, in competitive bridge, you have to use them, think about them and apply them if you want to win. Whoever applies them better over every session of bridge will win in the long run - and usually in the short run, too. Every good bridge player is a disciplined player.

Remember, if you hold your opponents to game when others let their opponents make one overtrick, you win the hand just as though you bid and made a grand slam.

Every Hand Is A Bidding Contest

Force Opponents to Bid High. If you bid aggressively and force your opponents up as far as they will go, they will be within one trick of their best contract, either way. If you don't bid aggressively, they will just bid enough to take the contract and rake in whatever tricks they need while you follow suit and wait for the next hand, missing half the fun of good bridge. Don't let them do it. If you do, you'll never make it at duplicate.

Good Offense is the Best D. That is the first step in successful defense - make every contract a close one. On close hands, you'll always have a chance to beat the contract or to beat the other players sitting your way. If you don't compete hard, you won't play enough hands to win: the declarer has the advantage no matter how good you are at defense, so be sure you become declarer often. Good offense is the best defense at bridge, as in so many things.

Concentrate

Bridge Isn't Very Hard to Learn - just look around you at your next bridge game and ask yourself if these folks are all smarter than you. Of course not - not even the best ones. But the one thing that all good players do well is concentrate.

Concentration on Everything -- All the Time. Concentration in bridge means paying close attention to every bid, every card, every signal and every opportunity to count something - in short, concentrate on everything. When you develop this habit, you'll enjoy bridge much more and you'll be a much better bridge partner and player, without a doubt.

Take Your Tricks

You Are Entitled to Your tricks -- Take Them. One notion to keep in mind always is that you are entitled to a certain number of tricks unless your opponents bid a grand slam. As soon as you can see or figure out declarer's plan to make his contract, figure out where your tricks are and take them - don't lose them. This means you sometimes must 'cash out' - just lay down your winners when you're on lead. An example:

If declarer leads toward a King of Clubs on the board and you, second hand, hold the Ace, take it. Declarer will make his King anyhow; sometimes he will hold only one club or will dump a second one somewhere, and you will eat your Ace. The cards were dealt that way so take your Ace: it won't ever take two tricks - but it will take none if you let declarer dump his second Club . . . and partners are never understanding about eating 'sure' defensive tricks.

Plan the Defense

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan. You have worked out some ways to plan your play when you declare or else you wouldn't be reading this book. The same thing must be done when on defense: Before playing the first card, have it clear in your mind how many tricks you expect to take and how many partner will take, in what suits, specifically. Don't count on your partner for a trick "somewhere". If this number will defeat the contract, fine: if not, it's no less important to take every trick you can to beat your real competition, who aren't at the table with you.

It is relatively unimportant to you to beat the contract in competitive play: what is important is to beat the other defenders.

Be Dependable - Don't Mastermind

No-one Likes a Princess or a Mastermind. "Masterminding" is taking things into your own hands without letting partner in on your plan. Bad tactics! You can't always play the best defense - it is harder than declaring. But you can always be a reliable partner. That way, win or lose, it'll be a team effort and you'll be ready to do it again. But, if you take control and "do your own thing" on defense, you are asking to play defense like declarer plays offense - alone. You'll end up alone, all right - without partners.

Behave. Lead your partner's suits, take your tricks, pay attention; in short, behave. You can do whatever you want when declarer - but not when you're defending.